Barrow County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 32-year-old Villa Rica man who led authorities on a high-speed chase through four counties last week.
According to the incident report, the chase began when a sheriff’s deputy on patrol near Atlanta Highway and Giles Road told another deputy through radio that the car he was behind was likely a wanted man on a felony probation violation out of Dekalb County.

The man, James Matthew Hopper, was driving a white Crown Victoria, and had a passenger who police could detect was unrestrained in the front passenger seat.

The report states that Hopper had tuned onto Giles Road from Atlanta Highway when a deputy tried to pull him over at the intersection near Rainey Brooke Drive. However, the driver picked up speed and kept going north on Giles.
With each curve the car would cross over in to the next lane failing to maintain its lane of travel, the incident report states.

The suspect continued at rates of speed above 90 miles per hour, as it brushed through a stop sign at the intersection of Giles Road and Ga. Hwy. 82. He took a right onto Ga. Hwy. 82 heading east and did not stop for the stop sign at Pleasant Hill Church Road.

When they arrived to a vehicle near the intersection of Nunnally Road, the suspect passed it in a no passing zone at the crest of a hill, according to the incident report.
Near the intersection with Ross Road, the suspect passed another vehicle within 200 feet of another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction.

The aggressive manner of the suspect’s driving intimidated the other cars, the report states, causing them to leave the roadway when he would pass them.

The suspect passed another stop sign at the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 82 and Ga. Hwy. 211 NE, almost T-boning a pickup truck that was in the intersection, according to the reports. He then turned north onto Ga. Hwy. 82 entering into Jackson County and passed through another red light where he nearly hit another vehicle.

The suspect took Ga. Hwy. 129 west until reaching the intersection of 1-85 where assisting Banks County Sheriff’s deputies deployed spike strips, but the car was able to avoid them, the report states.
Department of Motor Vehicle and State Trooper assists led the chase on 1-85 into Franklin County.
The suspect was driving at speeds over 100 miles per hour.

According to the report, when the suspect passed exit 166, the State Patrol executed an entrapment strategy that caused the vehicle to spin around, leaving the roadway and face the opposite direction.

As he tried to drive south in the northbound lane, he was cut off by a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputy, and the car struck a tree when it drove downhill.

According to reports, the passenger was taken into custody immediately after he exited the car, but Hopper reportedly took off into the woods, crossing over a barbed wire fence.
Authorities rushed into the woods after him, and Hopper was caught by a State Trooper about 40 yards away from the vehicle.

Both men were arrested and taken to the Barrow County Detention Center.

Hopper is charged with obstruction of an officer, reckless conduct, passing in a no passing zone, passing within 200 feet of oncoming traffic, passing on a hill, passing within 100 feet of a bridge, failure to maintain lane, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, aggressive driving and three counts of failure to stop at a stop sign.

The passenger, Henry Marguiles, was charged with a seat belt violation.

It's a very, very good thing that no one else got hurt that night. I'm not a big fan of high speed chases as I don't think that they work (this one was caught not by the initial cop, but by two counties sheriff departments later). With today's technology isn't there a way to be more proficient at capturing a criminal? There has to be a safer way to do it without running around with you head cut off. Seriously. Yet, if there is not, then someone needs to find a way.

Though High speed chases are dangerous, how do you expect to catch a felon when they run ? I beleive if the police were allowed to go old school and shoot the car up, that would eliminate the chase early on and reduce the risk of injury to the cop and innocent bystanders. If a person runs, it is because of a very good reason and if they did not chase him, how long before he is caught while doing other crimes ?
You have a valid concern, but the bigger picture is there is no other means other than to wreck the perp out, allow the cops to shoot the driver in an effort to reduce risk to others or to allow them to get away with no chase, which will set a president for other criminals to do the same and we would have criminals running all the time if they knew the police could not chase

Cops LOVE to chase. So do dogs. However, canines have some redeeming features that lead one to tolerate this lower animal tendency. The same cannot be same for lousy coppers. A few indictments for manslaughter might curb the foolish adrenalin-based CHASE predilection. Followed, one hopes, by some hard time in the cross-bar hilton (where they can get their fix of free Krispy Kremes).

Yea...Blame the guys who are sworn to enforce the laws idiot. You should go back to your crayons idiot. If you dont like the laws, then get them changed. Whine Whine Whine is all people like you can do.

"which will set a president [sic] for other criminals"
"your an idiot"

And, um, "your" [sic] a boy jeneyus, like Jethro Bodine.

Gotta love a self-proclaimed courageous dude who cannot distinguish between precedent and president.
This is why you are "stuck" in Barrow county, upside down, underwater -- totally bereft of liquid assets. Buy some books, buddy boy. Learn to read.

learn to read or spell ? oops, i made one mistake (actually two one moving here and the other is spelling) since Im at work, unlike the rest of you wellfair, backwoods "baby Huey's" that didnt have to earn anything in your life

If you hate it here sooooooooooooo much, why don't you move?
Oh, right you are "stuck" in Barrow and underwater/upside down in your mortgage, so you can't afford to move. (Boo hoo, big boy.
My heart is breaking.)

Yet, you think you are much smarter than the "backwoods" natives.
Let's see: I can read & write better than you; I don't owe any money on my house & cars; I have liquid assets.
Yet, you are certain that you are better than I am.
I think you be tres confused, buster.

because Im in a rush since some of us have to work. I cant help that I owe $250k on a house that was reduced to $227 due to your "good ole boys" or family, probably the same. I work for my money, house and do not have to rely on staying in the same home my grandparents handed down to me, so go smoke your Pall Malls and get your lottery tickets. If someone would buy my house, I would move, but since Im not going to take a $23k loss on my home, Ill sit here and complain about you and your welfare babies while i watch my spelling ;)

I don't smoke, nor do I purchase lottery tickets. Two reasons why I have more money than you do, I guess. But, if your silly stereotyping makes you feel better about your impoverished existence, then go right ahead. You know, pal, if it weren't for your stridently opinionated manner, I'd feel sorry for you. But, you're such a repellent blowhard know-it-all, ostensibly a repository of wisdom & courage, that I just can't. Enjoy paying that mortgage! You might build up some equity -- in ten more years.

I don't mind if they shoot out the perps car. I'm thinking that they should shoot at the tires, as soon as the perp leaves (right?!). Also don't mind having a helicopter do the chasing, but then again it would only work during the daylight hours. Maybe they could be a relay chain from one jurisdiction to the next, so instead of using a car, they use today's technologies to capture the person when the least expect it. I don't know what to do, just wished that chasing cars wasn't the only way.

Yes, I was wearing my seatbelt and if the cops had shot the car up I may have been killed. I was NOT a willing participant but it sure was an experience. The cops tried to charge me too but my girlfriend called 911 after I called her to say I was probably going to die so they were Forced to back down and stuck me with absurd, untrue seatbelt violation. Anyway . u people have something better to do.

This is a dangerous situation for EVERYONE. Blaming the officers is not the answer. If they chase and innocents are injured then its their fault for chasing. If they don't and the criminal robs, rapes, or kills someone then its their fault because they didnt pursue. Its a no win situation. There are good officers out there and there are bad ones. If you are going to be mad at someone be mad at the person who chose to run. In doing so they risk the lives of everyone else. They care only about themselves.

"Both the driver and the passenger were arrested and taken to the Barrow County Detention Center.

Hopper is charged with obstruction of an officer, reckless conduct, passing in a no passing zone, passing within 200 feet of oncoming traffic, passing on a hill, passing within 100 feet of a bridge, failure to maintain lane, fleeing and attempting to elude, reckless driving, aggressive driving and three counts of failure to stop at a stop sign.

The passenger, Henry Marguiles, is charged with a seat belt violation."

You can be arrested for ANY crime (traffic included)in Georgia. If you dont want to be arrested for a "piddly" crime then make sure your driver pulls over when the police signal them to. Too easy...What is so hard to understand?

Well thats just about as stupid as hell, why dont you explain to everyone just how is the passenger supposed to "make" the driver pull over.
The guy got locked up because they figured that there must be something going on because of his proximity to illegal activity.he's probably out by now unless they found some drugs on him or that he had a warrent out for him.
The moral here for henry and other dumbasses like him is not to hang around with scumbags, unless you are one to.

What you don't know is the passenger was on the phone begging the deps to stop the chase. Know the whole story prior to commenting. Also, this is the same deputy that arrested a man for running over a stop sign (during an accident) and charged him with interference with government property. INTENT is an important concept. When stats come before common sense and service you have problems. (By the way, it's against policies for Barrow County deputies to comment on public forums).

Law Dawgs are immune (they think) from reprimand or prosecution. Actually, they ARE exempt in Barrow, what with the incompetent jughead in charge. This little county has way too many deppity dawgs barking they wittle heads off in black Chargers.

Jack Legg...You must be a small man. I can make the driver pull over easy. I am not going on a wild ride with an idiot behind the wheel. You might want to but not me. Have fun when they put you in jail.

My god I have never seen so many boot lickers in all my life. You people really belive the cops are here to protect you? They are here to hold us down with a gun to our heads while the bankers and govrenment rape us. Todays law enforcement are nothing more than modren day RED COATS. Remember cops any atrocities you participate in you will be held accountable for. The nuremberg defense of oohh I was just following orders holds no water.

Hey fortitude cops cant protect you. all they can do is show up after the fact and fill out the paper work. I can train a baboon to do that. Buy a gun protect your self. Oh i sorry people should not own guns that makes the streets dangerous for officer friendly.

The sad thing is that Matt's girlfriend Kelli is the one that set him up. She called the police and told them where to find him. Not his mother. Now that he is locked up she is taking anything and everything of value that Matt owned and is sell it or pawning it. Men of Georgia beware of Kelli Woods.

Talk about bringing back a dead blog. This story was 19 months ago. Who cares about you BS charge or your seat belt usage.

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